Direction signal for traffic officers



0d. 7, 1930. W L ET AL 3377,37?

DIRECTION SIGNAL FOR TRAFFIC OFFICERS Filed Feb. 23, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet"l Edwin 77 PouleZZ Oct. 7, 1930. J. T. POWELL ET AL 1,777,379

DI'RECTI ON SIGNAL FOR TRAFFIC OFFICERS Filed Feb. 25, 1929 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Edwin 7? P0 2092 Z Patented Oct 7 193G mare JOEE! T.POWELL AND EDWIN i. POWELL, WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COBRA .DIBEC'I IOIIEIGNJQL FOR- TMEIC OEEICEM a ncaaenmea February as, was. Serial as.sealer.

This invention relates to signals and more particularly to a sinalespeciall adapted to be worn by a tra c oilicer to acilitate: hiswork when directing trafic at a street intersection.

One object of the invention is to provide a signal including a harnesshaving lamps mounted thereon which are illuminated when the device is inuse and by means of which the oficer may indicate the direction hedesires trafic to move across a street intersection.

Another object of the invention is to provide a harness which may beconveniently worn by a trafic oficer, and quickly adjusted to fit theofficer Wearing the same and further to so form the harness that redlights may be mounted at the front and back and green lights upon theofiicers arms, thereby allowing the ofiicer to display red lights whilefacing a street upon which trafiic is'to stop and green lights in thedirection in which trafiic is to move.

Another object of the invention is to provide a harness which willnotinterfere with free movements of the oficers arms and thereby allow himto use his forearm to in dicate special directions to pedestrians ordrivers of automobiles while the green lights so remain substantiallystationary.

Another object of the invention is to provide the lights with shieldswhich will conceal them when viewed from either side but allow thelights to be easily seen by persons facing them and thereby reventconfusion which might occur it hot green and red lights were visible.

Another object of the invention is to pro-= vide a harness which will besimple in its construction and comfortable when worn.

The invention is illustrated in the aecom panying drawings, wherein-Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a traffic oficer wearing theimproved signaling means, 7

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fi 1 but lookin at the back instead of theont,

Fig. 3 is a view of the: improved signaling apparatus laid out flat,

: W Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section al view through one of thesignal lamps, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the batteryholders with a battery disposed therein.

lhis improved trafic signal includes a harness having shoulder straps 1and 2 which are curved lon itudinally and joined at their ends therebyorming an elongated loop or yoke through which a traific ofiicer passeshis head so that the straps rest upon his shoulders and extenddownwardly at the front and back, as shownin Figs. 1 and 2. Straps 8 and4 are secured at the frontand rear ends of the yoke or loop and thestrap 3 is folded upon itself in order to form a loop which may beadjusted by moving the bill of its buckle 5 from one opening formed inthe strap to another. This loop is adaptedto have passed through it theertorated end of a belt 6 which extends a ut the ofiicers waist andapproximately midway its ends carries an upwardly extending strap 7 tothe upper end-of which is secured a buckle 8 for engagement in aselected opening formed in the strap 4. The strap 7 is rigidly securedto the belt 6 and, therefore, the belt'will alwaysbe retained in properrelation to the strap 4 and rear end of the loop or yoke and after theyoke is in place the perforated end of the belt may be passed throughthe loop 3 and engaged with the buckle 9 at one side of the loop, asshown in Fi l.- Gases 10 in which batteries 11 are to e carried aresuspended from the belt and each case is preterably slidably connectedwith the belt by a strap 12 so that the cases may be moved along thebelt and disposed at the oficers sides where they will not interferewith tree movement of the oflicers arms and be meat in appearance. Sidestraps 13 which are rigidly secured to the shoulder straps l and 2extend transversely therefrom and are of sufi cient length to extendacross the oficers shoulders and partially down his arms. These strapsterminate in eyes or loops 1% 95 through which are passed narrow straps15 adapted to be secured aloout the oficers arms and firmly retain thestraps 13 inpro er engagement with his arms. It will thus e seen thatthe harness is so formed that it may be 106' oflicer to easily easily apfit proper y and remain in its proper position when worn.

In order to'attract attention and allow the direct traflic across astreet intersection at night, there has been provided lights 16 at theends of the yoke and other 1i hts 17 at the lower. ends of the straps 13w 'ch may be referred to as arm straps. These lights are of a duplicateconstruction and one has been illustrated in detail in Fig. 4. Referringto this figure, it will be seen that the light includes a hollow body orcasing 18 formed with a base flange 19 through which fasteners 20, suchas rivets, are passed in order to firml secure the casing to the strapto which it is applied. This casing receives a reflector 21 formed witha central socket 22 to receive the base of an electric bulb 23 and whenthe reflector is in place and secured by the cap 24 which is threadedupon lied and adjusted so that it the casing and overlies marginalportions of .the lens 25 the contact at the. inner end of the base ofthe lamp will bear against a terminal 26 carried by the strap to whichthe casing is secured. A second terminal 27'is carried by the strap andfrom this terminal extends a contact arm 28 which bears a inst thereflector in order to complete a circuit through the lamp. Y About thecap 24 is secured an annular shield 29 which projects outwardly beyondthe lens and serves to conceal the lens when the lamp is viewed from oneside.

. 30 which are releasab y clearly visible to Therefore, when an ofliceris standing in the center of a street intersection, the drivers ofautomobiles movin along a street faced by the officer will be a le toeasily see the lights at the front or back which will have red lensesand the lenses of the lights 17 which are n will be concealed from viewbut will be rsons approachin the street intersection a on a crossstreet. Vires connected with the terminals of the batteries 11 so thatnew batteries may be easily substituted when those in use have becomeexhausted extend alon the under faces of the belt and straps with theirends secured to the terminals 26 and 27 of the lights and it should benoted that the wires leading from one batte with the rear light 16 andleft hand light 17 are connected.

whereas the wires leading from the other batteries are connected withthe terminals of the ri ht hand side light 17 and front light 16.herefore, ample electric energy will be rovided for the four lights.

en the improved dlrection signalin apparatus is in use, the oflicerpasses his hea through the oke and secures the belt about his waist. hestraps 15 are then secured about his arms and the apparatus is ready foruse. By turnin the switches of the bat teries on current wi 1 besupplied to the lights and the bulbs will be illuminated. Since thelights at the front and back have red lenses and the lights upon hisarms have green lenses, an oflicer when standing in the center of astreet intersection ma ace the street upon which he wishes vehic es tostop and display red li hts to the drivers of automobiles approac ingthe street intersection along this street. At the same time the sidelights upon his arms will display green lights to the drivers ofautomobiles approac ing the street intersection along a cross street. Inview of the fact that the straps 15 are secured about his arms above theelbow, they will not interfere with free movement of his arms and he canindicate s ial directions to drivers of automobiles wishing to make aturn at the intersection. In view of the fact that the strap 7 isrigidly secured to the belt it will always remain in its proper positionin alinement with the rear end of the yoke and thereby insure a neatappearance at the rear while adjustment of the loop 3 and belt 4 willcause the harness to accommodate itself to oflicers of different sizesand the belt'may be adjusted at the front to properly fit about anofficers waist.

Having thus claim: I

1. Trafiic directing means comprisin nose to be worn by a person andinclu ing a oketo extend acrosst e shoulders and downwardly at the frontand back, side st-ra 5 extending from said yoke and of suflibient lengthto extend partially, down a persons arms, means to secure said straps inplace against the outer sides of a person s arms electrically energizedlamps carried by the stra and front and rear lam s carried b said yokeemitting rays of a co or to readi y distin ish them from the lampscarried by the side stra s, means to shield each lamp and prevent oservation of its light from a osition transversely thereof, and meanscarried by said harness to supply ener to the lamps.

. 2. radio directing means comprisin harness to be worn by a person andinclu ing a yoke to extend across the shoulders and downwardly at thefront and back, side straps extending from said-yoke and of suflicientlength to extend partiall down a persons arms between the sho ders andelbows, means to secure said straps in place against the outer sides ofa persons arms above the elbows, electrically energized lamps carried bythe straps and front and rear portions of the yoke, the lamps carried bysaid yoke described theinfvention, we

har-

' emitting rays of a color to readily distinguish portions of the yoke,t e

yoke and straps, the lamps carried by said yoke emitting rays of a colorto readily distinguish them from the lamps carried by the side straps, awaist-encircling belt, a strap firmly secured to the belt intermediateits ends and extending upwardly therefrom, a companion strap secured tothe rear end of said yoke and depending therefrom, means to adjustablyconnect the companion straps of the yoke and belt, a strap dependingfrom the front end of said yoke and slidably engaging the belt tosupport the belt at the front, and means carried by the belt tosupport asource of electric energy for the lamps. 4. Traffic directing meanscomprising-harness to be worn by a person and including a yoke to extendacross the shoulders and downwardly at the front and back, side strapsextending from said yoke and of sufficient length to extend partiallydown a persons arms between the shoulders and elbows,

means to secure said straps in place against the outer sides of apersons arms above the elbows, electrically'energized lamps carried bythe oke and straps, the lamps carried by said yo e emitting rays of acolor to readily distinguish them from the lamps carried bythe sidestraps, a waist-encircling belt, shields carried byeach lamp to preventobservation of its light from a position transversely of the lamp, meansfor connecting said belt with the rear end of said yoke firmly securedto the belt intermediate the'ends of the belt, a belt support dependingfrom the front end of the yoke, and means carried by the belt to supporta source of electric energyfor the lamps. I

5. A device of the character descrlbed comprising a harness adapted tobe worn by a person and including a belt, a yoke adapted to extendacross a persons shoulders with end portions depending at the front andrear and engaged with said belt, side straps extending from said yokeand of suflicient length to extend partially down a persons arms, meansto secure said straps against a persons arms,

and signal elements carried by the straps and front and rear portions ofsaid yoke, sald signal elements at the front and back be ng duplicatesand contrasting with those at the sides and each including a shield proect1ng outwardly a suficient distance to prevent observation of thesignal from, a position transversely thereof.

6. Trafilc directing means comprismg hanness to be worn with portions atthe front,

2 back and against the arms of a person, signaling elements carried bythe said portions to emitting light of the same color and the lamps atthe sides emitting light of the same colorbut contrasting with lightemitted by the front and rear lamps, and a shield carried by each lampand projecting outwardly therefrom to prevent observation of its lightfrom a position transversely of thelampn 8. Traffic directing meanscomprising harness to be worn by a person and including a yoke to extendacross the shoulders and downwardly at the front and back, side strapsextending from said yoke and of'suflicient length to extend partiallydown a persons arms, means to secure said straps in place against theouter sides of a person 5 arms, light emitting signal elements carriedby the straps and front and rear portions of the yokes, the

signal elements carried by saidyoke emitting tures.

JOHN T. POWELL. EDWIN T. POWELL.

the signaling

